Superintendent of Schools

Dr Stacey Adler, Ph.D

My family has recently gotten in to the habit of having a "Family Game Night" about once a week. We play "old-fashioned" board games like Monopoly, Sorry, Life or sometimes we just play cards. With technology impacting our lives today the way it does, our game nights have become a time when none of us have phones in our hands. There is no TV on, just the board game and us. It has been a very fun way for us to connect as a famly, especially as our kids are getting older.

Now, as I am sure many of you do with your families, every Thanksgiving we go around the table and say what we are thankful for that year. It is kind of corny, but I do think it is important to take a minute and think about the blessings in one’s life and acknowledge those out loud. However, this year, I am going to combine our game night with our giving thanks ritual by playing “The Gratitude Game”.

Debie Schnadt, a Program Coordinator at MCOE and one of my favorite people in the whole world, brought this game in to the office this week. It is so perfect for the upcoming holiday that I wanted to share it here. Basically, “The Gratitude Game” is a game of pick-up sticks (do little kids even KNOW this game anymore?), however it adds on the element of stating what one is grateful for with each stick you successfully choose. For example, if you draw the blue stick you state “a thing you are thankful for” or if you draw the red stick you state “a person you are thankful for”….you get the idea.

The directions and more information about “The Gratitude Game” can be found at: